Ahh! Help! Hen in distress, egg bound?

[NYRIR]

I have a 2 year old (i think :/ ) Golden laced Wyandotte who is having alot of trouble breathing. She is gasping for air in a way. Her abdomen is very swollen, and she has no sign of upper respiratory problems, however I cannot feel an egg!?!?!? She is currently in a warm bath, we put some oil in and around her vent. She is a very sweet hen and I do not want to lose her. Her vent is also kind of pulsing, like she is trying to push something out. She seems pretty bad, her breathing wasn't so bad until we picked her up. What to do?

 

[NYRIR]

Also, her abdomen doesn't feel hard, it feels more... fluidy?? I'd be grateful for a reply as soon as possible! -Thanks

 

[Central Florida]

I would have done the same things that you have done. Has she laid anything yet? Any discharge from her vent?

 

[NYRIR]

No, nothing yet....This hen was a gift for my DD 2 years ago....I really don't want to lose her.

I cannot feel an egg at all(even after donning gloves and internally feeling for it)....after a warm bath she seems a little less stressed as far as panting...

Here she is...last one on the right....last year's pic...this is Pebbles.

 

[tammye]

when you picked her up you may have moved the fluid in her abdomen and it may be pushing up on her diaphram causing her difficulty breathing, this is not good. Ascities, fluid in the abdomen, can be caused from liver failure, internal laying, egg yolk peritonitis, ect.. some folks drain the fluid by sticking a needle in the belly just beyond the skin layer and pull back on the syringe to draw out the fluid, but most times it will came back again, so the treatment may only be temporary. so sorry, so hard to lose our girls, good luck

 

[TeamChaos]

Hi there, I'm no expert but read up on ascites and sterile egg peritonitis. I've had a hen living with this for over a year.

http://poultrykeeper.com/common-articles-to-all-poultry/health/egg-peritonitis.html

 

[NYRIR]

Ok, so question....she is 2 going on 3 and never had a problem or illness whatsoever...the only thing she ever has had was lice, once. Does it happen like that? Suddenly? Or can they be eggbound and pass the egg and be fine?

 

[NYRIR]

when you picked her up you may have moved the fluid in her abdomen and it may be pushing up on her diaphram causing her difficulty breathing, this is not good. Ascities, fluid in the abdomen, can be caused from liver failure, internal laying, egg yolk peritonitis, ect.. some folks drain the fluid by sticking a needle in the belly just beyond the skin layer and pull back on the syringe to draw out the fluid, but most times it will came back again, so the treatment may only be temporary. so sorry, so hard to lose our girls, good luck

Thanks, I just can't believe it...she has never had a problem before with anything :-(